Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



n A Gn P. FosTER. Breach-'Loading Fire-Arm.

Patented`Apr. 10, 1860.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

GEORGE I. FOSTER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 27,874, dated April l0, 1860.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE l. FOSTER, of Providence, of the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described and represented in the following speciiication and the accompanying drawing, which exhibits a longitudinal section of my invention as applied to a gun or rifle whose breech or load-chamber is movable relatively to the remainder of the barrel.

The nature of my invention consists in the arrangement of a latch and catch-viz., in advance of the tri gger-and so that the latch may extend under the trigger and be movable with and have its fulcrum carried by the guardlever, for operating the movable breech or charge-holder.

In the drawing, A denotes the stock, B the barrel, and O the movable breech or chargeholder, they being common to what is known as the Burnside rifle or hre-arm. y The said movable breech, at or near its front end, is hinged to the stationary part of the barrel, and is provided with a lever, D, which not only serves as a guard for the trigger E of the lock, but as a means by which the part O may be moved relatively to the barrel or out of and into line therewith, either for the purpose of receiving a load or for elevating such load into range with the barrel.

To the inner or upper side of the guard-lever D a curved lever-latch, F, is jointed at its fulcrum a, such latch being formed so as to lock on a catch, G, projecting from or applied to the stock. Both latch and catch are disposed in front of the trigger, or between yit and the barrel, and the latch is under the trigger. A spring, H, is applied to the latch and the lever D in such manner as to keep the latch' in engagement with its catch while it may be desirable to preserve the axis of the charge chamber orholderinlinewiththatoi'thebarrel. While the stock is grasped in the right hand. and so that the foreiinger shall be placed in front of the trigger, if the same or the next finger be forced against the tail or longer arm of the latch with sufficient power, such latch will be unhooked, and both it and the guard will be depressed, so as to turn the charge carrier or holder into the proper position to receive a cartridge or load. The dotted lines in the drawing exhibit the charge-carrier orvmova-v ble breech part, its lever, and catch as moved downward relatively to the stock.

From the above it will be seen that the arrangement of the latch within the lever-guard and with respect to the trigger, as described, not only covers the latch, but causes the leverguard to protect it from being accidentally unlocked, and, besides, it renders the latch an Y additional guard to the trigger and brings the latch into a very convenient position for being Operated or moved after the trigger may have been pulled. I claim- The arrangement of the latch F and its catch G relatively to the trigger and the guard-lever D of the movable breech part, as described. GEO. P. FOSTER. Vitnesses:

J OsEPE A. SCOTT, BENJ. G. LUTHER. 

